Medical marijuana grows closer after licence granted

A LICENCE awarded to a Tasmanian firm to grow medicinal cannabis on Norfolk Island has given confidence to proponents of the drug's health benefits.

AusCann was this week awarded the first licence to grow the plant for medicinal purposes on the island, with plans to export the product to Canada.

While medicinal cannabis is still illegal in Australia, The Greens and some members of both major political parties have backed legalising the drug, as state governments press ahead with scientific trials.

The decision has sparked renewed confidence among supporters of the drug, who cite a growing body of evidence it can help ease the pain of patients with chronic diseases and cancer.

The firm hopes to be able to export its first crop to Canada, where medicinal cannabis is legal, by next year, but also hold out hopes of exporting it back to the Australian mainland.